Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Riot police have broken up a strike and occupation of Yoosung Enterprisefactory in Asan, south of Seoul.

Around 3000 riot police have attacked 500 strikers staging a sit-in at thefactory, which manufactures piston rings for Hyundai, Kia, Renault andGeneral Motors in South Korea.

The majority of occupiers have been arrested, with the remaining strikersand their supporters being dispersed by the police.

The raid marks a significant attack on a building strike wave in the SouthKorean automobile industry which has seen several victories, but alsofollows several years of mounting repression against the workers'movement. Hyundai had already suspended production of diesel engines atits Ulsan plant as a result of the strike action creating a supplybottleneck, and had been threatening to suspend production of petrolengines as well.

However, Ulsan plant itself has been hit by strike action in recentmonths, initiating the strike wave leading to the Asan occupation. The endof 2010 saw a wave of strikes in which irregular workers - precariousemployees with minimal rights, usually on short-term contracts and whoearn on average less than half the salary of permanent employees - took aleading role. A sit in by irregular workers turned into a full-scaleoccupation after the protest was attacked by security guards and companythugs. The dispute spread to Chunju and Asan, and in Asan was met withsignificant violence during a prior attempt to organise a sit-in.

The tight supply chains utilised by Asian car companies, in particularHyundai, with its lean production model, have been successfully disruptedby workers taking strike action in recent years, most effectively inChina.

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This blog is organized and updated autonomously of the disbanded Break the Chains Prisoner Support Network formerly based in Eugene, Oregon. While this online project shares several of the same concerns as the old Break the Chains collective, no formal organization exists behind the current web presence.

"I will never surrender my pride and dignity nor allow the system to 'cut my tongue' and I will always, without fear, speak out against these war crimes and crimes against humanity, no matter if I spend the rest of my life in a prison cage, and draw my last breath of air laying down in this steel bed surrounded by razor-wire fences and cages, and its prison policies that are designed to destroy one's humanity…."